The Orientation of Naruto Uzumaki
by littlehughesy
Summary: AU Highschool fic There's a new student at Konoha Academy, and everyone, I mean EVERYONE, wants a piece of him. There's only one problem, no one knows "which way he rolls." Chaos ensues. NaruHina NaruSaku NaruIno SasuNaru ShikaTema NejiTen
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! Welcome to my first fic! I'm really excited that I finally got this posted on here. Anyway, thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy my fic. Reviews are appreciated, especially since this fic has taken my virginity! Happy Reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, Sasuke wouldn't be the dark side's bicycle. (Everyone's had a ride :P)**

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The Orientation of Naruto Uzumaki

Chapter 1

It was the beginning of a new semester at Konoha Academy, and life had never been duller. It appeared as though the girls had still not recovered from Sasuke Uchiha's confession last semester. The guys had already known all along. I mean, how can you be swarmed by girls every moment of every day and not bat an eyelash if you weren't…

"Gay," Kiba blurted, once again annoyed by the fan girls' defeated sobs, "He's gay, guys, so just get over it." Sakura and Ino broke off their disgruntled moans to glare at the dog trainer.

"No, we will not 'get over it'," Ino stated, emphasizing the 'not' part. "Sasuke Uchiha is the perfect man, and I cannot and will not accept that he is unattainable." Sakura nodded in determined agreement.

"He's gotta at least be bi or something," she added, extending a glimmer of hope to the entire Uchiha fan base. The two girls continued discussing possible circumstances and formed strategies to win the young raven's heart. Kiba sighed and shook his head at their hopelessness. At least not all girls were like those two. The other, more rational, ones had moved on, including….

"Temari," Shikamaru said in his annoyed, monotonous tone, "will you please stop bombarding me with all these troublesome questions?" He entered the room slowly, being tailed by the blonde in question.

"Oh come on, Shika," she pouted, using the nickname he clearly didn't like, "How else am I supposed to know if you will make good boyfriend material?" Shikamaru sighed heavily as he took a seat next to Kiba, who snickered at his friend's torment. Sakura and Ino took a break from their planning to glance at their former comrade and fan club member, who returned a smirk and a wink. The two girls smiled back, masking their giggles behind their hands. Finally, the bell rang, signaling the beginning of their first period. Stragglers started filing into the room as the students took their seats, among them was Sasuke Uchiha. The girls still swooned despite themselves then sank into deep depression. Sasuke rolled his eyes. He had obviously been getting this all day. Shikamaru sighed again, voicing the opinion of every student in the room, as Kurenai-sensei entered the room. _Let the boredom begin_. But before any of the second years could get too relaxed, a tall, blonde haired, blue-eyed stranger walked into the classroom, wearing a school uniform with an orange and black messenger bag casually thrown over his shoulder. He smiled at the classroom of his new peers and waved slightly, communicating that he was far from timid.

"Class," the teacher addressed them, "this is our new transfer student, Naruto Uzumaki. He is new to this town and our academy, so be nice," she smirked at her class, knowing even they could adhere to such an elementary command. "Would you like to tell the class anything about yourself, Mr. Uzumaki?"

"Please," the boy said, holding his hands up and smirking, "Mr. Uzumaki is my father. Call me Naruto." Kurenai laughed gently at his bad joke. Naruto then turned to the class. "As previously stated, my name is Naruto Uzumaki. My dad and I just moved here so I hope we can get to know each other soon." Naruto bowed slightly to his peers and smiled. Kurenai gestured toward the rows of desks and Naruto looked for an open seat.

"There's one over here," a girl in the middle of the room offered as she pointed to the desk next to hers.

"And here," another girl retorted.

"And here."

"And here." Girls all over the room competed for the chance to sit next to the handsome new student, since Sasuke Uchiha was no longer available, that is. Naruto blushed slightly at his newfound popularity and seated himself in the first offered desk. The other girls whined softly at their defeat. On Naruto's other side was Kiba who quickly nudged the new kid to gain his attention.

"Hey," Kiba whispered, now that the teacher had begun her lecture, "I'm Kiba. If you ever need help learnin' the ropes at this joint, I'm your man."

"Thanks," Naruto whispered back, grasping Kiba's outstretched hand in a silent low-five. The boys smiled at their newly formed friendship and returned their attention to the front of the classroom; however, it seemed they were the only ones listening to Kurenai-sensei. The rest of the classroom was only paying attention to the new student. Some speculated about his look and friendly charm. Others sized him up as an opponent in love, while most just observed him curiously. At the end of the period, Naruto went to ask Kiba where his next class was when he was swarmed by every student in the classroom. There were a million different questions being thrown at him at once by members of the student body. He laughed lightly, rubbing the back of his neck and blushing as he tried to answer all of them. Eventually most of those prone to fandom were satisfied and made their way out of the classroom, leaving Sakura, Ino, Shikamaru, Temari, Kiba, and Sasuke in the room. Five of the teens approached Naruto, while Sasuke remained at his desk with his hands cupped in front of his face. Naruto sighed in relief as it seemed he could finally relax and ask the questions himself.

"So," he began, "I already know Kiba, who might the rest of you be?"

"I'm Ino," Ino said sweetly, pushing herself to the front of the small crowd to shake his hand, "Do you have a girlfriend back home I should know about?" she asked before winking seductively at Naruto. He laughed at her boldness.

"No," he said, still laughing, "Not yet, but it's nice to meet you, Ino." She smiled and backed off, allowing the others to introduce themselves. Sakura made her way to the front and took Naruto's hand.

"Sakura," she said simply, shaking the much larger hand with surprising force. Naruto nodded and grinned. She smiled lightly and stepped to the side allowing Temari and Shikarmaru to introduce themselves. After shaking Naruto's hand, Shikamaru pulled him to the side to whisper in his ear.

"The girls in this school are kinda crazy," he said quietly but earnestly, "so be careful."

"Good to know," Naurto replied, laughing softly as Temari dragged Shikamaru away by his ear, pretending to be offended by his comment. All attention was then directed to the raven sitting in his desk. Naruto raised his eyebrows in expectation. Sasuke stood up and lifted his hand to shake Naruto's.

"Sasuke Uchiha," he said, and to everyone's utter shock and dismay, a small smirk graced his lips. Naruto accepted the handshake with a wide smile.

"Nice to meet ya, Sasuke," he said. The pair stood shaking hands for a good 30 seconds until Naruto, obviously uncomfortable, spoke up. "Um…Sasuke, you can let go now." After a few studders, Sasuke reddened and released Naruto's hand.

"Sorry about that," Sasuke said, embarrassed. Naruto held back a chuckle.

"It's okay," he said. Sasuke smiled. The three girls in the room were speechless. Not only had they seen THE Sasuke Uchiha blush, but he also smiled….twice! It was obvious that Sasuke was attracted to Naruto, leaving only one question. Was the young Uzumaki gay?


	2. Chapter 2

The Orientation of Naruto Uzumaki

Chapter 2

Kiba, Sakura, and Ino led Naruto down the hall to his next class, which they all happened to share. Word of the new student had already traveled through most of the student body, as evidenced by the numerous stares and whispers directed toward the small group of teens. Ino secretly thanked the gods that she was able to share a piece of the spotlight, while the other two were still too curious about Naruto to notice. They had all witnessed the display of Sasuke's affection, but the spiky haired teen hadn't made anything of it. Did he accept Sasuke's feelings? Did he return them? Was he completely oblivious to the whole thing? Kiba was thinking the latter, but Sakura had her doubts. No one could be that used to such a friendly welcoming, and by another guy nonetheless. He has to know that Sasuke's interested, but wait. Naruto doesn't even know Sasuke's gay. For all he knows, Sasuke could be the friendliest guy in this school. That's completely wrong of course, but Naruto doesn't know that. Sakura shuffled down the hall contemplating while Naruto decided to take in the overwhelming academy atmosphere. He had never been surrounded by so many of his peers. He and his dad used to live in a very small town on the countryside, so he was not used to all the big buildings and enormous amounts of people. It excited him. Another experience for life to throw at him, and he would take it head on, naturally. He had to admit though, people were definitely a lot more straightforward here. Just after leaving the classroom, he had already received twelve party invitations, seven cell phone numbers, and two confessions of love. And then there was that Sasuke guy.

Oh well, Naruto thought, at least that means the year will be interesting. He smiled a big goofy grin to himself and continued walking only to be stopped by Ino. He looked up from his inner thoughts to see her smirking at him inches from his face.

"W-what?" he asked, caught off guard by her close proximity. Despite his best efforts, he blushed furiously. Ino giggled.

"We're here," she said, still laughing at him. Naruto looked up dumbfounded and noticed that they were at the door listed on his class schedule. Feeling like he had a mule for a head, he rubbed his neck and laughed.

"Oh," was all he could manage. Feeling brave, and still craving some attention, Ino grabbed Naruto's hand and dragged him into the room full of students. Taken completely by surprise, Naruto had to flail his free arm to keep his balance as he followed the beauty into the large classroom. This was Naruto's study hall period, and the teacher assigned to supervise was already buried in a book. Kakashi-sensei, as Naruto's class schedule identified him, looked up momentarily from his small orange book, shrugged, and went back to reading. Naruto chuckled when he saw the book's title, but didn't make a big deal of it. When Naruto finally looked at the class, twenty pairs of eyes darted back at him, and to Ino's satisfaction, at her as well. Naruto released Ino's hand quickly, realizing he had been holding it the whole time. He blushed in embarrassment. Ino laughed quietly at his innocence. Sakura rolled her eyes at her friend and rival.

She's milking this for all it's worth, Inner Sakura proclaimed, Look at her flaunting him around like he's her boyfriend or something. A twinge of jealousy touched her thoughts before her attention was once again directed to the blondes.

"Everyone, this is Naruto," Ino announced to the whole class, smirking widely, "He's the new transfer student." Naruto waved to the class. A few girls giggled, and Naruto blushed. Ino went on to explain how she knew Naruto so well, but he wasn't listening. He examined his audience and was intrigued by a pair of wide silvery blue eyes looking shyly in his direction. He had never seen such an eye color in his life. They were beautiful. The eyes' owner blushed and quickly looked away. Naruto cocked his head to the side, interested and amused. He left Ino to her gossip and made his way to the back of the classroom where the silvery blue eyes had drawn him. He approached the owner and outstretched his hand.

"I'm Naruto," he said, despite the fact that Ino had already introduced him, "Who are you?"

"Hi-Hi-Hinata," the girl stuttered, before composing herself, "Hinata Hyuuga." She took Naruto's hand and shook it softly. Naruto smiled widely at her.

"Very nice to meet you, Hinata," he replied, "Do you mind if I sit next to you?" He glanced noticeably to the seat next to her before returning his eyes to Hinata. Lost for words, Hinata simply blushed and nodded her head in acceptance. Naruto smiled and spun around the desk and into the seat, sighing in relief. He had avoided making a competition out of his seating and had made another new friend. He smirked to himself over his accomplishments.

Ino finally stopped gossiping about her "relationship" with Naruto to notice that he was no longer next to her. Sakura laughed at her expression. She walked over to her friend who looked like a lost child.

"Looks like you've been dumped," she joked pointing to Naruto and Hinata seated in the back of the classroom, chatting like long time friends.

"A minor setback," Ino smirked at Sakura. Now it was her turn to look lost.

"Wait," the pink haired teen started, "you're seriously interested in him?" Ino's smirk widened into a challenge, confusing Sakura.

"I'm not blind," she replied before running to sit in front of Naruto and Hinata. Sakura was left in front of the classroom looking like she'd just been punched in the gut. Now Ino was interested in him too? Who was this guy, and how was he able to draw people to him so easily? What was his secret? Sakura didn't know, but she planned to find out for herself.


	3. Chapter 3

The Orientation of Naruto Uzumaki

Chapter 3

Sakura spent her study hall studying not only her anatomy textbooks, but also the new student. She turned from her desk in the middle of the classroom to observe him mingling with his new classmates in the back of the classroom. Kakashi, being the least observant study hall supervisor ever, didn't mind the chatter. In fact, he didn't even hear it, being completely engulfed in his book. Naruto was laughing and telling stories about him and his dad when they lived in the country. Basically the entire class surrounded him and was laughing along with him as he told his tales. Ino leaned as far in as she could from her desk in front of Naruto's to be close to him, while Hinata who was at his left side kept a comfortable distance away without seeming uninterested. Kiba was standing against the wall directly behind Naruto's desk, adding commentary to Naruto's funny stories. Other guys in the class stood next to Kiba, still surrounding the young Uzumaki, while the girls tried to take Ino's approach.

Sakura was the only student in the class who hadn't crowded around Naruto, yet he showed no hint of anxiety or embarrassment from the attention. He welcomed it, but in a more gracious way than Ino would have. He seemed genuinely interested in getting to know everyone around him. Being an intellectual, Sakura tried to analyze which of Naruto's characteristics made him so damn attractive. What gave him such a magnetic force? Sure, he was cute. I mean you'd have to be blind to not notice the way his blonde locks so perfectly framed his tanned face, or the way his cerulean eyes seemed to pierce through your soul. Well, pierce wasn't the right word for it. It sounded too harsh and violent. It was more like his eyes caressed your soul, gently and openly. His body was nothing to scoff at either. He was obviously strong and fit. His arms were muscled without being bulky and is abs were nicely outlined by the form fitting black t-shirt underneath the uniform shirt that he had unbuttoned due to the warm weather. Sakura found her eyes lingering there for a while, unable to look away. 'Nothing better than a six-pack' Inner Sakura couldn't help but think. Sakura shook her head, trying to shake away her alter ego's admiration. If all this guy had was his looks, then pass. She only had eyes for Sasuke anyway….right? Suddenly, her concentration was disturbed by a large figure at her side. She turned to her right, revealing said figure to be a boy staring at her with a lecherous grin. He glanced at the books on her desktop and snickered.

"Anatomy, huh?" he leered, "You know, I'll let you analyze me if you wanna." Sakura rolled her eyes and began to turn back to her desk until she felt her shoulder being firmly grasped. "Come on, sweetheart, books are no fun. Why not study the real thing?" the pervert coursed while slowly slid his hand down from her shoulder to a more…private area.

"Knock it off," Sakura yelled furiously, slapping the boy's hand away. He just smirked and took hold of Sakura's desk and back of her chair, crowding her. He leaned in as if to kiss her. Sakura leaned away, disgusted.

"What's wrong babe? Don't you wanna know how I tick?" he asked, still getting closer. "Well, I'll give you a hint it starts with.." But he was cut off by a strong, unexpected punch to the right cheek, which sent him crashing to the ground. He looked up holding his freshly beaten cheek, stunned for a moment, then glared viciously at a tall blonde boy standing next to the girl he had been flirting with. Well what he thought was flirting anyway. The new student glared back at him.

"She said 'knock it off', so if I were you, I'd move along." Naruto said calmly, but not without a little malice. The pervert stood up abruptly, brushing pretend dust off himself cockily.

"Oh yeah? Who's gonna make me?"

"You might wanna look around you before talking," Naruto said, suppressing a laugh as he noticed all his new friends surrounding the jerk. The boy followed Naruto's advice, checking around himself and discovering the oncoming threat with a loud gulp. "I also suggest an apology to my friend," Naruto said, tilting his head toward Sakura who looked at him, still a little shocked by his display of strength. The boy conceded and looked to Sakura.

"S-sorry," he stuttered quickly before running out of the room. Noticing the running boy, Kakashi looked up briefly from his book, shrugged, and continued reading. The rest of the class went back to chatting amongst themselves, somewhat disappointed that they couldn't give that guy a good whack. Naruto chuckled, only to be interrupted by the girl next to him.

"You know, I didn't ask for your help," she said obstinately. Naruto halted his chuckling to look at Sakura.

"You didn't have to," he responded seriously, "That's what friends are for." Then he smiled, closing his 'caressing' eyes briefly. Sakura smiled back, gently tilting her head to the side. 'Okay, so maybe there IS something more to him than his looks,' she thought. But he wouldn't win her over that easily.

"Don't expect me to just fall all over you now," Sakura said, a little guarded. Naruto laughed.

"I never thought you would," he said still laughing.

"Good, because I already like someone," she said,

"Oh yeah?" Naruto asked curious, "Who's the lucky guy?" Naruto took a seat next to her.

"If you must know, it's Sasuke Uchiha," Sakura said matter-of-factly.

"Really?" Naruto questioned, extremely surprised and confused at the same time. Sakura noticed his confusion.

"What? You don't think Sasuke would go for a girl like me?" she asked, slightly offended. Naruto laughed.

"No, not at all," he chuckled, "I just didn't think he went for GIRLS period."

'So he DID notice….okay, confession time.' Sakura sighed. "You're right," she started, "He doesn't go for girls. He just admitted last semester that he's gay, but I haven't given up yet. People change." Sakura stared at the blonde with a fierce stubbornness, and as she expected, he laughed.

"Sakura, you're so…" he started.

"What? Desperate? Pathetic? Stupid?" she finished angrily.

"Determined," he said admiringly. "I really like people like you, the ones who never give up, no matter what." Sakura stared at him, dumbfounded. No one had ever regarded to her like that after learning she still loved Sasuke. The bell rang before she could respond, and Naruto stood up, starting to leave before he turned over his shoulder. "I hope things turn out the way you want," he said, "I'll be rooting for you." Then he left the classroom with Hinata, who was waiting at the door to escort him to his next class.

'Yes, there is definitely more to him than his looks,' she thought, as she felt herself being pulled in by his magnetic force.


	4. Chapter 4

The Orientation of Naruto Uzumaki 

Chapter 4

"I really like you." The words kept ringing in her ears, dashing her hopes of ever being with the handsome new student. Hinata looked at the ground in defeat. Naruto had already confessed to Sakura. 'Why did I ever think he would like me anyway?' Hinata scoffed at herself, 'He obviously would go for the prettiest and most popular girls in school, like Ino or Sakura.'

"I'll be rooting for you," Naruto said as he left Sakura's side, heading straight for Hinata. He had a smile on his face so sweet and genuine that it could end war itself, and Hinata couldn't help but notice the blush that had spread lightly across Sakura's face. Hinata fixed her face to hide her disappointment in Naruto's choice.

"Shall we?" he asked as he stood behind Hinata, extending his arm to allow her to step out of the room first.

"Sure," Hinata replied sweetly. 'He's such a gentleman. Sakura doesn't know how lucky she is.' They walked down the hallway towards the gym. They had phys ed next period. Hinata desperately wanted to confirm her suspicions about Naruto's relationship with Sakura but didn't want to be rude. She was taken by surprise when Naruto spoke up first.

"Wow, the people here are awesome. This semester is going to be a lot better than I expected. I'm really glad I came here."

"I'm happy you like it," Hinata said quietly, "We're glad that you came here too, especially the girls it looks like." Naruto laughed and rubbed the back of his neck, a habit Hinata noticed Naruto only did when he was embarrassed.

"Yeah, I guess I have been getting a lot more attention than I expected. People here are just so open. I've made so many friends already."

"And got a girlfriend," Hinata added with fake joy. She really wished the last part wasn't true.

"Huh?" he eyed Hinata curiously, and then he laughed. "Oh no, don't believe what Ino was saying earlier. She was just kidding."

"Not Ino," Hinata clarified, "Sakura. I heard you tell her you like her. You don't have to keep it a secret." She looked to the ground, defeated once again. Naruto just laughed louder.

"No, no, Hinata, you must have heard me wrong. I told Sakura I like people LIKE her. I admire her for her determination and dedication to Sasuke, but she's definitely not my girlfriend." He smiled warmly and Hinata cheered instantly at this news.

"Really?" she asked, full of hope. Naruto smiled again.

"Really." Hinata felt like she could fly. Naruto wasn't taken. There was still hope. She almost didn't realize when they arrived at the gym.

"Oh, this is it," she said point toward the double doors leading to the locker rooms. "The boys' locker room is just down this hallway." Naruto walked to open the door and looked back.

"Thanks Hinata, I'll see you in class," he said before beaming and heading down the hallway. She paused to smile back and control her blush before going to the girls' locker room. Inside, Hinata found her cousin's girlfriend, Tenten, changing into her gym clothes. Tenten poked her head out of her shirt to see her boyfriend's cousin standing in the doorway.

"HINATA!" she said excitedly, "You're in this class too?"

"Yeah," Hinata replied giggling, "It's good to see you again, Tenten." Hinata was happy there was someone else she could talk to in this class. Tenten and her cousin Neji had been dating for a while, almost 2 years now, and in that time Hinata had gotten to know her rather well. She liked Tenten a lot. She was kind of a tomboy, very kind, but not afraid to stand up for herself or her friends. Tenten smiled knowingly at her.

"You're blushing Hinata," she smirked, "What have you been up too?" Hinata's eyed widened and her blush flourished across her face.

'Damn Tenten's keen eyes,' Hinata thought chagrined. "N-nothing Tenten. I was just escorting the new student to class," she said looking down at the ground to hide the furious blush. Tenten caught on immediately.

"Oh," she teased still smirking, "Is he cute, Hinata?" Hinata didn't reply but her cherry-red complexion said it all. Tenten smiled and took her friend's arm. "You can tell me all about him later, but now you have to change before we're late for class." Hinata nodded and headed for her gym locker to change.

Naruto walked into the boys' locker room, still mulling over the conversation he had with Hinata just moments ago. 'Does she like me? She seemed so disappointed when she thought I confessed to Sakura.' Naruto was much more observant than people gave him credit for. He found the locker the teacher had assigned him, 166B, and used the locker combination written on his class schedule, 46-37-30. While he fumbled with the lock, more boys filed into the room, all carrying bags holding freshly washed gym clothes. He recognized some boys from previous classes. He smiled and waved to them. They politely returned the gesture then turned to their other friends who were obviously questioning them on who he was. After a short explanation from the boys, their friends also turned to Naruto and waved. He smiled. One boy wearing and tight green t-shirt, green shorts, and orange high socks strolled up to Naruto confidently. Before Naruto could question his fashion sense, the boy extended his hand in greeting.

"My name is Rock Lee, and from now on Naruto Uzumaki, we are eternal rivals," he said, raising his thick eyebrows in a challenge.

"Huh?" Naruto asked, not quite understanding what he had done to deserve a rival and how this kid already knew him.

"I heard about your display of heroics, saving the fair Sakura from a pervert in study hall," Lee said, answering Naruto's internal questions. "I am here to warn you that I will not lose to you, in strength or love." Naruto laughed and shook Rock Lee's hand.

"You've got it all wrong Lee. I'm not interested in Sakura that way, but if you think you're stronger than me, then bring on the rivalry." Naruto laughed and released Lee's hand. Lee smiled back.

"You may not realize it now, but soon you'll fall for Sakura, just like I have. Hell, most of the guys in school have already fallen for her." Naruto shrugged nonchalantly and turned back to his locker.

"Guess I don't see it. Oh well, leaves a better chance for you, doesn't it?" Naruto asked while he smirked. Lee returned the smirk.

"Well, see you in there," he said and left to go change. Naruto fumbled once more with his lock until he finally heard a click. He opened his locker and threw in the books he'd been carrying all day. He slipped off his black dress shoes, placing them in the locker, and laid out a pair of white tennis shoes to replace them. He shrugged off his already unbuttoned uniform shirt, folding it and placing it on top of his shoes in the locker. With a little effort, he lifted his black t-shirt that stuck to him due to the sweat over his head. He heard the sound of the door opening and closing. Someone was straggling in late. Naruto was finally able to lift the shirt completely off his body, allowing him to see once more. It was then he noticed the straggler staring directly at him, more specifically at his exposed torso. 'Huh,' he thought absently, 'Looks like I have another class with Sasuke.'


	5. Chapter 5

The Orientation of Naruto Uzumaki

Chapter 5

He couldn't get this guy off his mind. Ever since that first handshake, Sasuke couldn't stop thinking about that new student, Naruto Uzumaki. It made no sense. Of course Sasuke knew he was gay, but he had been surrounded by attractive guys all the time and never felt anything before. For example, his brother's friends were definitely not to be taken lightly, but even as they came on to him, he never felt the pull he felt from Naruto. One thing kept eating at him though. He didn't know if Naruto was interested. In fact, he didn't even know if Naruto was gay. Sasuke sighed as he rounded the corner. 'Why cant these girls get it through their heads?' he asked himself as he saw yet another hoard of fan girls surrounding his locker. He considered passing right by it, but crap…he had gym next period, and his clothes were in there. He would have to face them. Sighing again, he pushed through the crowd, ignoring all the "WHY SASUKE?"s and the "I STILL LOVE YOU"s. Some girls even tried to give him love letters or homemade sweets. Finally he made it to his locker, unlocked it, took out his gym clothes, and turned to leave, seeing that the crowd had doubled in size and determination. 'At this rate, I'll be late for class,' he thought. As if by some silent signal, the fan girls swarmed, tearing at his uniform and crying desperate tears. They screamed declarations of undying love and devotion. A couple girls latched onto his legs, forcing him to drag his feet across the tile floor of the hallway. They too were crying, soaking his pant legs. 'This is ridiculous,' he thought annoyed. 'Okay, that's enough.'

"GIRLS!" he shouted at the crowd that instantly silenced then swooned at the sound of his voice. He rolled his eyes. "You need to move on! I'm gay! G-A-Y, gay! That means that I am not now, nor will ever be interested in any of you! I'm sorry to be so harsh, but you don't seem to be getting the gentle approach and I've had enough!" Sasuke yelled, panting afterward from the strain on his lungs and emotions. The crowd grew silent once more and to Sasuke's shock and deep relief, they dispersed, whispering to themselves and shooting him cold glares. Sasuke didn't mind, at least they finally understood. He turned once more to get to gym class which he would obviously be late for now and found himself staring into the eyes of one of his more determined and dedicated fan girls. 'Sakura, I think her name is.' He shuffled through the faces of his fan club members in his mind; finally remembering this was the president. Sasuke sighed; he didn't want to explain again. Sakura laughed.

"Don't worry, I get it Sasuke," she said raising her hands in surrender to avoid a lecture, " You will never be interested and I can't change that. I just wanted to know if we could be friends…. on a strictly platonic basis." She smiled warmly, making Sasuke understand why half the guys in school were crushing on her. Well the straight guys anyway.

"You know, you're kind of cute when you're not in crazy fan girl mode," Sasuke complimented her, seeing her eyes flicker with…hope? 'Shit' he thought and was about to take it back before Sakura started laughing again.

"Gotcha," she said, still giggling. "I really do get it, Sasuke. I just want to be friends. Oh, and I'm Sakura, in case you forgot." She extended her hand to him. Sasuke smiled warmly for the first time to this girl and took her hand.

"I'd like that, Sakura."

"Good," she replied cheerfully as she turned to jog down the hall toward her next class, which she would be very late for if she didn't hustle. However, she stopped abruptly and turned back to Sasuke with a coy smile.

"But you know," she started, smirking, "if I have to give up on you, that just means I'll have to pursue the only other guy in this school who's caught my eye." Sasuke looked at her, confused but encouraging.

"Uh, yeah sure. That's great," he started before seeing her eyes flash mischievously. "Wait, who is the other guy?"

"Oh you know, the guy who everyone's after these days. It'll be tough to win his heart with all the competition, but I think I have the advantage. We made quite the connection last period." Sasuke's heart pounded. She couldn't mean who he thought she meant.

"WHO?" he demanded. Sakura smirked, making Sasuke very nervous.

"Who else? The new kid, Naruto Uzumaki," she replied before widening her smirk and taking off down the hallway. Sasuke's stomach dropped. Was she serious, or was she just teasing him? Was there really a lot of competition for the new blonde? He couldn't say he was surprised, the kid was gorgeous; he just didn't want it to be true. 'Shit,' he thought again. He checked his watch. 'Damn, I'm really going to be late if I don't hurry.' He sped down the hallway about half as fast as his mind was racing, going over every detail of the conversation he just had with Sakura. Thank God he only had gym next period. He could change quickly and still get in the gym before all the girls were finished primping. He still didn't understand why they did that in the first place. 'I mean they're just gonna get sweaty and gross again so why bother?' He continued contemplating this as he arrived at the locker rooms. He pushed the door open absent-mindedly until he was stopped dead in his tracks.

It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. A torso so tan and lean it could belong to a model, or Greek god, or some other perfection that only graced the Earth with its presence once every thousand years or so. The six-pack abs rippled nicely underneath the stunning muscular pectorals. Sasuke had never loved anatomy so much in his life. Who was this god-like Adonis? Within half a second Sasuke had his answer as the blonde teen succeeded in pulling off his black t-shirt. Sasuke was dumbstruck, as Naruto stood before him, half naked and shimmering slightly from sweat. Little Sasuke wanted to peek up too, but Sasuke controlled himself, silently thanking and cursing the Lord that it wasn't Naruto's other half that was naked. Naruto met his gaze, smiled, and waved casually. Sasuke fixed his face so that he didn't look so utterly stunned, or turned on. He smirked and waved back, reforming his air of confident superiority that drove girls crazy. He hoped it would have the same effect on the blonde, but for now he had to hurry and change. He went to his locker, opened it, and threw his belongings in. He quickly stripped off his clothes and replaced them with his gym clothes, a crisp white t-shirt and blue mesh shorts with white tennis shoes. As expected, Sasuke was finished changing and in the gym before any of the girls had stepped foot out of the locker room. He watched as Naruto met and chatted with other students in this class. Sasuke couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy when Naruto obviously enjoyed talking with other classmates. He saw them all as competition, since he still didn't know which "way" Naruto rolled. After five brutal minutes of watching his classmates flirt with Naruto, Sasuke decided he'd had enough sitting on the sidelines. Just as he approached to enter the conversation, a disturbance shook the gym and a booming voice echoed among the rafters.

"DYNAMIC ENTRY!" the voice exclaimed as a man dressed in a tight green sweat suit descended from the mezzanine of the gym. He flipped through the air about five times before landing on his feet. The crowd of students stood in shock and awe, speechless. This man was either amazingly athletic or completely insane. Most believed it to be a mixture of the two. After about ten seconds of dead silence, Lee started praising the man and Naruto quickly followed suit, though he wasn't as enthusiastic as Lee. The man laughed heartily before introducing himself.

"I am Gai-sensei and I will be your gym instructor this semester. I must warn you, I am tough but fair. I expect no less than your best effort in all our activities. All right! Let's begin!" Gai-sensei divided the class into two teams to play indoor soccer. Lee and Naruto ended up on the same team as Hinata, and Sasuke was on the opposite team with Tenten. Sasuke couldn't help but a little ticked that that green clad idiot was getting so close to his love interest. Ever since Sakura informed him of his competition, he was seeing it everywhere. Everyone who laughed with or talked to or even touched Naruto was his bitter rival. Sasuke internally vowed that when Naruto was his – and Naruto WOULD be his – nobody would be allowed to touch him except Sasuke. If you could say anything about Uchihas, it was this: they were possessive and they hated to lose.

With a blow of the whistle, Gai-sensei started the game. Lee and Naruto took off at blinding speeds, chasing after the black and white ball. Hinata admired the spirit Naruto showed, while Tenten smacked her forehead in frustration before chasing after the boys. The rest of the gym class stood dumbstruck for about three seconds before also taking off to participate in the game. Sasuke took this game as a good opportunity to observe the blonde and get to know him better. Lesson one: Naruto was competitive. Sasuke watched in awe as Naruto and Lee coordinated their movements perfectly to steal, pass, and score over and over again. He could see that simply playing the sport with friends made Naruto extremely happy. Another twinge of jealousy struck the raven-haired boy as Naruto enthusiastically high-fived his teammates. 'Fine,' the Uchiha thought, 'If it's competition he wants, it's competition he's gonna get.' Sasuke then decided to dive into the game, full force, and it was a force to be reckoned with.

Despite themselves, former fan girls swooned at the site of Sasuke Uchiha, sweaty and pumped full of adrenaline. Sasuke was playing with all he had, making the game much more interesting. Before Sasuke decided to try, it was pretty much Naruto and Lee scoring a goal, stealing the ball back, passing back and forth, and then scoring again. Now with Sasuke added to the mix, Lee and Naruto were having a tough time defeating the natural athlete. He was an Uchiha, after all.

Naruto was having the time of his life! Sports were never this competitive at his old school. In fact, there weren't even enough people at his old school to form a legitimate team of any kind. But now, he was running, sweating, jumping, and scoring all while smiling so wide someone could drive a truck across his mouth. He had to hand it to Lee; the kid was a real athlete. He had never seen anyone who was so fast and agile. It was almost like he danced across the gym floor instead of ran. And Sasuke! What a force he was! His power and strength were incredible but he wasn't at all bulky or weighed down. Heck, he was almost as fast a Lee. Naruto couldn't remember the last time he'd had this much fun, and it was only gym class! 'Imagine if I joined a team or something!' Naruto thought giddily. Oh, this was definitely turning into an interesting school year.

Sasuke stole the ball right out from Lee, regaining Naruto's focus. Feeling up for a little smack talk, Naruto decided to poke some fun at Sasuke.

"It's not that easy, Uchiha," he said cockily, "Let's see if you can handle me!" Sasuke laughed nervously. 'I must be scaring him,' Naruto thought as he bolted toward Sasuke, eyes set on the ball. What he failed to notice was his shoelace, which had become untied during some point in the game. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what happened next. Step 1: Naruto steps on his own shoelace, thereby tripping himself at top speed. Step 2: Naruto, who is unable to stop his momentum, hurdles straight into Sasuke. Step 3: After some tumbling, a dizzied and mildly concussed blonde is laying on the floor underneath a flustered and, unbeknownst to Naruto, heavily turned on raven. Gasps from several former fan girls and basically anyone who heard that the Uchiha liked the new kid could be heard throughout the gymnasium, the loudest of all coming from a certain blue haired girl. The tension in the air was so thick; you'd need a chainsaw to cut through. Sasuke, who was mildly enjoying the position, made no attempt to get off the blonde, until said blonde started laughing and rubbing his head, in both embarrassment and pain.

"Whoops," he laughed and smiled up at Sasuke, "Sorry about that." The class let out a collective breath that they just realized they'd been holding. Sasuke's dazed eyes became reanimated while he showed off his trademark smirk.

"No big deal," he said, adding a seductive wink that left Naruto's mind racing. 'Thank God no one else saw that.' Everyone else saw it.


	6. Chapter 6

The Orientation of Naruto Uzumaki

Chapter 6

Sasuke was really getting into the game. Even though he was rather talented, Sasuke never really cared much about sports, but Naruto was making all the difference. Now that there was someone whose skills were on par with his, Sasuke was playing his hardest to win. He'd never been so juiced up in his life. Sasuke noticed Lee was distracted trying to find an open teammate to pass to and decided to take the advantage. He kicked the ball right out from Lee's feet and headed back for the opposite goal.

"It's not that easy, Uchiha," Naruto yelled from the left side of the court, "Let's see if you can handle me!"

'_Oh I could handle you_,' Sasuke thought giggling like a nervous schoolgirl. _'I could handle you in a lot of ways_.' And a few seconds later, like in one of the many fantasies that had just run through his mind, Sasuke found himself on top of Naruto. Sasuke's eyes widened in shock for a split second before he replaced the feeling with his confident air once more. He barely noticed the room full of shocked gasps, concentrating too had on repressing the lustful chills running down his spine.

Naruto squirmed under him lightly, lifting his hand to rub the back of his head. He grinned goofily and laughed, "Sorry about that." Sasuke couldn't help but notice how cute Naruto looked right now.

"No big deal," Sasuke answered him as seductively as he could muster and decided to throw in a wink for good measure. From the look on Naruto's face, Sasuke assumed he got the message. He smirked, chucking inwardly.

Hinata was in shock. This was a side of Sasuke no one has ever seen before. Of all the years being surrounded by adoring fan girls and fan boys alike, he had never shown interest in anybody. '_Why now, why HIM?' _ Hinata could help but think. It just wasn't fair. It's not like Hinata was a desperate fan girl or something. Why was it that when she developed her first legitimate crush, everyone else just HAD to want him just as much as she did.

"Well this is an interesting development," Hinata heard Tenten say next to her. Hinata turned to see her smirking.

"Tenten!!" Hinata whispered earnestly to her friend, shocked and almost offended that she thought this was funny.

"What?" Tenten turned to Hinata. The anxious look on the younger girl's face told her everything. "Wait….that's him? That's the new kid you like?" Hinata blushed and suddenly became fascinated with the gym floor. She nodded her head a few times, never once looking at Tenten.

"Well then, I-," Tenten started but was interrupted by a brilliant idea, followed by a lecherous grin. "I suggest you go in and break it up." And before Hinata could consent or deny, she was not so gently nudged into Naruto and Sasuke's direction. Just as Sasuke was getting off a very confused Naruto, Hinata, unable to balance herself from Tenten's shove, toppled over, knocking Sasuke to the side with herself landing right on top of Naruto. Hinata blushed at the suggestive position she and Naruto found themselves in. Hinata's well-endowed chest was pushed up against Naruto's torso. Her legs straddled his body and her face was mere inches from his. It took all of Hinata's strength not to faint on the spot. Naruto stared, stunned for a moment, then quickly laughed and smiled at Hinata.

"Wow," Naruto said laughing unguarded, "People are just falling all over me here, huh?" He laughed at his joke, while Hinata smiled. '_You have no idea how true that is, Naruto' _she thought as she returned his laughter, giggling softly. Naruto abruptly stopped laughing and stared awed once more for a couple seconds. Hinata stopped giggling, looking at him confused by his reaction. He blushed and rubbed the back of his head, smiling softly and staring her straight in the eyes with an almost nostalgic intensity.

"Sorry," he started sheepishly as his gaze trailed to the floor, "your laugh, it reminded me of my mother's," he explained. He looked back up at Hinata with a sad yet peaceful expression. "It was beautiful." Hinata blushed at the flattery, but couldn't help but be curious.

"Your mother's?" she questioned. She didn't want to push. It was obviously a painful subject for Naruto to discuss, but she couldn't help herself.

"Yeah," Naruto said, his eyes flashing with admiration and sadness, "She died a couple years ago. You remind me a lot of her." Hinata smiled comfortingly, wanting to ask more about her, but knowing this was not the time or place. She stood up fluidly and extended a hand to Naruto. He took it and stood up, smiling warmly.

"I'd love to know more about her…and you as well," Hinata said quietly, "if you'd like to talk, I mean," she added as she suddenly lost her nerve. '_What a stupid thing to say,'_ she chastised herself, ' _Of course he doesn't want to talk about her, and especially not with a complete stranger. Stupid, stupid, stupid.'_

"I'd like that," Naruto answered her, smiling with his eyelids slightly lowered in admiration. Hinata looked up at him surprised. "I don't know why," Naruto continued, "but I feel really comfortable around you, Hinata. I think we could be great friends."

"I'm glad," Hinata said returning Naruto's smile, "I'd really like being friends." '_It's a start, a foot in the door,' _she thought happily. _'And hey, at least I know we have something in common.' _

The bell rang, signaling the end of gym period and shaking Hinata out of her reverie. The gym began to empty as students rushed to the locker rooms to change and get to their next class. Naruto looked expectantly at Hinata until she snapped back into reality.

"What class do you have next, Naruto?" she asked. She secretly prayed he would say dra-

"-Ma," Naruto finished her thought. Hinata looked up excitedly.

"Drama? I have that class too!" she cheered. Naruto smiled.

"Good, then I'll have someone I can talk to." Hinata was ecstatic. Naruto was in another class with her, and he wanted to talk to her. '_Things are looking up. Nothing can ruin this mo-'_

"Hey Naruto, what class do you have next?" a certain raven-haired admirer asked.

'_-ment. Crap, I forgot I have to share, for now.' _Hinata thought. Well, she might as well be civil. It's not like Sasuke was closer to winning Naruto than she was.

"Drama," Naruto answered Sasuke's question. "Me and Hinata were headed there right now."

"Hinata and I," Sasuke corrected jokingly. Naruto laughed.

"What are you, my English teacher?" Naruto laughed as he lightly punched Sasuke in the shoulder. Sasuke rubbed his injury and laughed.

'_Damn,' _Hinata thought as she saw the encounter, '_He's turning on the charm. Sasuke's going to be tougher competition than I thought. I mean, who knew Sasuke could be charming?' _

"Well, can I join you two?" Sasuke asked innocently, "I have drama next period too."

"That's awesome! This is gonna be a fun class!" Naruto responded enthusiastically. "Of course you can come with us, right Hinata?"

Hinata put on a sweet smile. "Sure Sasuke, the more the merrier," she lied. In all honesty, she wanted Naruto for herself, but she would play along if it made Naruto happy. _'It's not like he's mine'_

"We'd better hurry," Sasuke pulled Hinata out of her thoughts, "We'll be late." He grabbed Naruto and before either he or Hinata could protest, dragged him to the boy's locker room.

Naruto called to Hinata over his shoulder, half laughing, "We'll meet you in the hallway, Hinata!" Sasuke slightly grimaced at this and Hinata chuckled. Naruto was completely oblivious to the battle being fought over him, and this was only the beginning. '_He is right though," _Hinata thought. '_Drama class is sure to be interesting.'_


	7. Chapter 7

The Orientation of Naruto Uzumaki

Chapter 7

Sasuke, Naruto, and Hinata made their way down the hall until they came upon room 116.

"This is it," Sasuke said, pointing to the door. Naruto quickly grasped the doorknob, excited about the class that awaited him. Naruto was always a fan of drama. He loved to act, play roles, and do anything related to theatre. His dad always said it came from his mother. That only made Naruto's love for theatre stronger. It gave him a connection to his deceased mother, whom he missed very much. To Naruto's further excitement, the class was full of familiar faces. Seated in the back row were Ino, Shikamaru, Sakura, Kiba, and Temari, along with a few new faces. Next to Shikamaru was a portly boy, eating a bag of potato chips. He wore a blue cap on his head with his light brown hair sticking out either side along with his school uniform. Shikamaru looked like he was trying to talk to the boy, but all attempts were drowned out by the sound of crunching chips. Shika gave up, rolling his eyes. Naruto stifled a giggle and continued to search the room. In the front row, a boy with long brown hair, tied loosely behind his back, was resting his head on his folded hands. He looked very calm and collected, while at the same time exuding a subtle confidence. He intrigued Naruto who turned to ask Hinata who he was but found she was no longer there. She was headed straight for the brown haired boy.

"Neji," Hinata called, coaxing the longhaired boy to look up. Naruto noticed he had the same strange, yet beautiful eyes that Hinata had, but they were a little colder. Naruto followed Hinata to his side.

"Neji, this is Naruto. He's a new transfer student," Hinata introduced sweetly. "Naruto, this is my older cousin Neji. He's a third year like Tenten." Naruto and Neji examined each other before Naruto extended his hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Neji. Hinata and I have become good friends. I hope we can be the same." Naruto didn't see the blush that spread itself across Hinata's face at his words, but Neji was a bit more perceptive. He grunted before smirking and shaking Naruto's hand.

"Nice to meet you too, Naruto," he said until he pulled Naruto by his hand so that their faces were inches apart, "But if you ever hurt Hinata, I'll personally dig your grave." Naruto backed away, retrieving his hand from Neji's grasp to rub the back of his head. He laughed nervously at Neji's sudden change in mood.

"No worries," he replied before he was saved by another familiar voice entering the room.

"Neji!" Tenten yelled excitedly as she entered the room and ran to her boyfriend. "I'm so excited we have this class together!" She slid into the seat next to him and gently pecked him on the cheek, allowing Naruto to see the tough guy blush lightly.

"Hello Tenten, I'm happy to see you, too," he replied. Sasuke scoffed, breaking up the cute reunion. "Uchiha," Neji greeted, clearly annoyed by Sasuke's presence.

"Hyuuga," Sasuke replied apathetically. Naruto quirked an eyebrow at Sasuke's behavior. _ 'Must be some bad blood between these two,'_ he thought. Just then, he was spotted by the back row.

"Naruto!" Sakura called, waving her hand and standing from her seat next to Ino, "Over here!" Naruto smiled and headed for the vacant seat in front of her, since the whole back row was already full. Hinata waved goodbye to Neji and Tenten and quickly followed him. Sasuke spared one last glare at Neji before joining the back of the class. Hinata took the seat on Naruto's right, in front of Ino. She turned to the back row, like Naruto had, and joined their conversation. Sasuke followed, about to take the seat on Naruto's left when-

"NARUTO, MY YOUTHFUL RIVAL!" Lee shouted, entering the classroom and bounding up the rows to Naruto's side, "I'M SO GLAD WE CAN ENJOY ANOTHER CLASS TOGETHER!" In his excitement, Lee shoved Sasuke right out of the seat next to Naruto, taking it for himself and sending Sasuke barreling into the next seat. Sasuke felt a vein twitching on his forehead in annoyance. Naruto turned from the back row, having not noticed his and Lee's exchange in seating.

"Nice to see you, Lee," Naruto smiled at him, "Wow, now I'm really going to love this class."

"And why is that, Naruto?" Sakura asked, still giggling at Sasuke's annoyed expression. (She DID notice Lee pushing him over, and found it quite funny.)

"Well," Naruto answered, "I love drama class already. Acting is one of my passions. Plus, everyone I know is in this class, so it won't be awkward or anything, you know?" Naruto smiled again, making a few people's hearts melt. Ino took this opportunity to speak.

"Really, Naruto? You like acting? That's so cool. Acting is my favorite thing too, and I'm not half bad I must say." She smiled seductively at him. "Maybe we could star in the class play together," she purred, leaning closer to Naruto's face. Naruto blushed a little and backed off.

"Heh heh, yeah that could be fun." He rubbed the back of his neck, like he always did when he was embarrassed. '_Well she's…forward.' _ Sakura rolled her eyes. _'Oh yeah, she's definitely a drama queen,'_ she thought. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening. All the students turned to the sound expectantly.

"Alright class," the teacher said, walking into the room carrying a bunch of scripts in hand. "Take your seats, and we'll take roll." The teacher laid down the scripts on his desk, revealing a tanned face with kind, smiling eyes. His hair was a rich brown and put up in a high ponytail that stood on end. A light scar embossed the bridge of his nose. The teacher scanned the classroom, smiling, until his eyes landed on Naruto. He looked confused for about a millisecond until he smiled even brighter.

"Ah, you must be Naruto," he said. "I'm Iruka-sensei. Welcome to Konoha Academy." Naruto returned the smile.

"Thank you, Iruka-sensei. It's nice to be here." With that, Iruka turned to the rest of the class and smiled.

"Welcome to drama class, everyone. Now, you might have heard that this class is a breeze course. I'm sorry to tell you, but that is incorrect. I will be tough, but fair, and I expect all of you to grow in your acting and comprehension abilities by the end of this semester. During the extent of this course, we will be rehearsing and performing a play chosen by myself. I expect you all to be focused and perform your role to the best of your ability. If you don't think you can act or suffer from stage fright, I highly suggest you do not take this class, because I will not be giving any breaks. This class is an elective, so I must assume that you all took it because you are honestly interested in the performing arts."

Iruka paused in his beginning of semester speech to observe his audience. Most of the class was on the edge of their seats with excited expressions painting their faces. His eyes shifted to the new student. Naruto was grinning ear to ear. Iruka could tell he was very excited for this class and wasn't surprised. _'Judging by the amount of friends he's already made, I can tell that this kid is definitely the outgoing type. I wonder, though, if he has any skill.' _Iruka's gaze then landed on the girl to Naruto's right. She was fidgeting nervously and looking down at her desk. _'Hinata? I always thought she was a very shy girl. Is she trying to turn over a new leaf, or is there a side of her I've never seen before perhaps.' _ Iruka was intrigued about how this new group would perform. He smirked to himself. _'And now, to drop the bomb.'_

"This semester, the drama class will be performing a rendition of the famous love story, 'Romeo and Juliet' by William Shakespeare." Iruka's news delivered mixed reactions among his students. For the most part, the girls squealed in excitement while the boys groaned in annoyance and dread. There were a few exceptions, however. Naruto hooted euphorically, saying he had always wanted to perform Shakespeare (He was his mother's favorite writer), and Hinata's mouth snapped shut, her face turning several different shades of red. Iruka stifled a giggle and continued.

"During the next week, we will be auditioning for roles. You will audition in pairs, one male, one female, and will read a scene from the script in front of the class. Seeing as this is as much your play as it is mine, we will vote on who will play the two leads, Romeo and Juliet, as a class on Friday. The rest of the roles will be chosen by yours truly. Are there any questions?" Iruka stifled another laugh as a number of hands shot up. "Yes Ino?"

Ino smiled as she lowered her hand. "Will we be choosing our own partners, or will you be choosing them?"

"Good question, I thought I would be nice and let you choose your own partners." Ino beamed.

"Can I have Naruto?" This time Iruka didn't try to hide his amusement. He laughed out loud.

"That's for him to decide, Ino." Ino's smile didn't falter as she turned to Naruto. Sakura and Sasuke growled under their breath. Hinata's eyebrows scrunched slightly in an almost unnoticeable glare. Iruka noticed the change. _'Well well, what do we have here? Apparently, Naruto is more popular than I thought._'

"Now, now, Ino," Iruka continued, "the time for choosing partners is not upon us yet. We still have to hand out scripts and get to know each other."

"We already know each other," Ino whined. "We don't need introductions." Iruka laughed at her childish antics then faced the class with a serious face.

"As a drama class, you will all get to know each other on a much more personal level. To perform a play of this difficulty, the cast has to know each other's strengths and weaknesses. You are all a team, a cast," Iruka paused to add gravity to his next words, "_a family_. If you don't know each other on an almost intimate basis by the time rehearsals start, this production will fail, without a doubt. It will be hard sometimes, but I know you can do it. I believe in the youth at this school."

"YOUTH!" Lee screamed from his seat, standing up and thrusting his fist toward the sky, interrupting Iruka's touching speech. Iruka sweat dropped, forming an awkward smile. The rest of the class joined him as they all stared at Lee. After about a full minute of awkward silence, Lee took the hint and bashfully sat back down. Naruto patted him on the back in comfort. Iruka shook himself and continued where he left off.

"As I was saying, I believe in the you-," Iruka paused, looking at Lee once more, "young people at this school. I know you all have tremendous talent." With that Iruka grabbed the scripts he had placed on the desk and started handing them out to the students. Naruto couldn't contain his excitement.

"This is going to be so awesome!" he exclaimed, "I wonder what part I'll get." Of course he hoped for the lead, but he really didn't know how good the other guys in this class were at acting, so for now he would only hope.

"Of course you'll be Romeo, Naruto," Ino purred from behind him, leaning closer, "and I'll be your Juliet." Naruto didn't miss the possessive she used and blushed at her close vicinity.

"Alright class," Iruka gather their attention again after handing out the scripts. "We will be spending the next couple days getting to know each other before choosing partners. I want you to find someone who complements your abilities, so you all need to stay open minded through the process. We will start with- _rrrrriiiiiiiiiing."_ The bell interrupted Iruka before he could continue. As the student filed out of his classroom, he yelled over their conversations, saying their introductions would begin tomorrow. Naruto's next class was with Ino, so she latched herself onto his arm as she lead him down the hallway. Sakura glared at Ino's back as she watched them descend the hall. She grabbed Sasuke as he exited the classroom.

"Oww, what is it, Sakura?" Sasuke whispered as Sakura pulled him around the corner and leaned in to whisper to him.

"Ino's going to be tougher competition than I thought," she said, making Sasuke's eyes widen.

"Ino likes him too?" he said incredulously, like the whole thing was absurd.

"I thought she was just joking at first, you know, being all flirty and teasing like she is with every other guy, but she's being really forward with Naruto. I'm pretty sure she's serious."

"Perfect," Sasuke sighed, "first you, then Hinata, and now Ino, this is a much harder competition than I anticipated." He frowned, "Wait a minute. Why are you telling me this? We're both competing for him too, unless you've given up already?" Sasuke taunted. Sakura snorted obstinately.

"Of course not. I just think we should work together to eliminate the other competition. Of all of us, I think you and I are the most determined to get to Naruto, and probably the most competitive too. It would be the perfect partnership."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "How do I know I can trust you?"

Sakura sighed then an idea stuck her. "Well first things first, we have to find out his orientation, then we'll work from there. If he's gay, I'll help you get him, and if he's straight you'll help me. It works out perfectly."

"What if he's bi?"

"Then we get rid of the other two, and then let the best man or woman win. Deal?" Sasuke pondered for a few seconds before reaching out his hand toward Sakura with a smirk.

"Deal," he agreed, shaking Sakura's hand, before dropping it and smirking wider, "but you know, if he is bi, I'll win, no doubt about it." Sakura laughed, accepting the challenge.

"We'll see, pretty boy, we'll see." Sasuke smiled, a real smile, which was not something he did often. After years of pushing every girl away, Sasuke had made his first girlfriend. He laughed at the irony.

"What's so funny?' Sakura asked, pretending to be offended, though she smiled at Sasuke after a couple seconds.

"It's just that, after all the years of you asking me out on dates, it took me admitting I'm gay to finally make you my girlfriend." He laughed again, Sakura joining in this time, understanding the change in the meaning of 'girlfriend.'

"I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship," she said. Sasuke laughed again.

"That was the most cliché thing I've ever heard you say." Sakura shrugged.

"Yeah, well, the moment called for a cliché ending."

"I guess it did," Sasuke agreed. Then they both headed off to their next class.


End file.
